ENERGY SAVING BALLAST BASIC INFORMATION AND TUTORIALS

The market for magnetic (core and coil)
ballasts is shrinking! The National Appliance Energy Conservation Amendment of
1988, Public Law 100-357 prohibited manufacturers from producing ballasts
having a power factor of less than 90%.

Ballasts that meet or exceed the federal
standards for energy savings are marked with a letter “E” in a circle. Dimming
ballasts and ballasts designed specifically for residential use were exempted.

Today’s electronic ballasts are much
lighter in weight and considerably more energy efficient than older style
magnetic ballasts (core and coil). Energy saving ballasts might cost more
initially, but the payback is in the energy consumption saving over time.

Old-style fluorescent ballasts get very
warm and might consume 14 to 16 watts, whereas an electronic ballast might
consume 8 to 10 watts. Combined with energy-saving fluorescent lamps that use
32 or 34 watts instead of 40 watts, energy savings are considerable. You are
buying light, not heat.

When installing fluorescent luminaires,
check the label on the ballast that shows the actual volt amperes that the
ballast and lamp will draw in combination. Do not attempt to use lamp wattage
only when making load calculations because this could lead to an overloaded
branch circuit.

4 comments:

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